Just in time for the Fourth of July, the city of Antigo’s new downtown banners have arrived.

City street crews were installing the banners along Superior Street and Fifth Avenue today, creating a customized look that celebrates the different aspects of the community.

“Staff came together to really customize the banners to highlight what is special in Antigo,” Mark Desotell, the city’s director of administrative services, said.

Those key personnel included Sarah Repp, the city’s park and recreation director, Julie Zack and Beth McCarthy, using photographs contributed to local residents. Hayes Graphics of Mosinee designed and manufactured the finished products.

The banners include scenes of fireworks, the city’s boardwalk, Music in the Park at the City Park bandstand, a veteran and flag, and kayaking near the Hudson Street bridge on Antigo Lake. They celebrate Antigo as a great place to relax, play, celebrate, enjoy and live. All of them proclaim “Antigo: A Great Place to Grow.”

Desotell said the first 36 are being installed along Fifth Avenue, the downtown section of Superior Street, Sixth Avenue in front of CoVantage Credit Union and Field Street near the community playground.

The new banners are all spring and summer scenes and will be replaced with the existing seasonal banners in fall and winter, Desotell said.

The new look replaced any of the downtown banners that had become faded and rather shopworn after years of use. They are being funded through a portion of the city’s hotel/motel room tax.

The council approved initial expenditures of $5,000 for the banners and $10,000 for new Christmas decorations, which will be unveiled in a few months.

Desotell said the replacement will be ongoing, with $4,000 in room tax funds scheduled to be allocated on an annual basis for the holiday decorations and banners.

“We’re going to keep them looking fresh and nice,” he said.

Jay Darling, left, and Mike Schmidt prepare to load the city's new downtown banners onto their bucket truck for erection downtown this morning.